A deep abyssal portal slowly faded within Koji's courtyard.
After explaining what he was doing, Aether allowed Koji to remove the seal so he could leave.
"What else could I do? Even if I could make him stay, Aether could never set his heart aside." Lumine leaned on Koji's shoulder.
She knew what Aether was doing was dangerous, but she didn't want him to carry regrets.
"If Aether ever faces a life-or-death crisis, Koji, please help him. I don't want to lose my brother," Lumine whispered softly, resting against Koji's chest.
"The brother-in-law won't die that easily. Even if he somehow did, I can revive him."
Lumine didn't object. As long as he could live, that was enough.
Beneath the Root of the Dragon-Queller Tree.
An ancient dragon as old as the mountains—the Dragon King Azhdaha, the Shaker of Mountains—had been imprisoned here for countless ages.
As a being who once fought beside Morax, Azhdaha's power was beyond question. Even if Morax himself acted, he would have to prepare for mutual destruction.
"I heard the Dragon King went mad because the people of Liyue dug up his home?" Koji asked, staring at the great seal before them.
Zhongli nodded without denying it.
Though erosion existed naturally, the people of Liyue had over-mined the earth for production, worsening Azhdaha's erosion. Even Morax's intervention couldn't stop it from spreading further.
"If humans hadn't destroyed everything recklessly, Azhdaha wouldn't have eroded so badly," Cloud Retainer said irritably.
With the Dragon King's strength, mere time wouldn't have driven him mad. Over the centuries, the adepti had come often to inspect the seal.
"Humans must develop," Madame Ping sighed, "but it's true that they went too far back then."
"So, the people of Liyue over-mined and drove their guardian god insane, right?" Koji clapped his hands.
Zhongli and the others silently admitted it. Indeed, it was humanity's fault. If Azhdaha hadn't still had a shred of reason and asked them to seal him, Liyue Harbor might already have been destroyed.
"Everyone, it's been a long time."
A Liyue man wearing glasses approached, his body glowing faintly with white light.
Koji felt no hostility.
"Azhdaha?" Cloud Retainer frowned. Though the aura was weak, it was unmistakable.
"I am not the Dragon King himself, but a small part of him residing in this human. When I saw you coming, curiosity led me here, and the Dragon King's memories resurfaced," the man said calmly.
"You're the remnant of Azhdaha's benevolent will, aren't you?" Zhongli sighed softly.
"Yes, Morax." The man, Kunjun, nodded. He looked toward Guizhong and smiled. "I didn't expect you to return, Hatus."
Guizhong chuckled. "Neither did I. Azhdaha, soon we'll help your true body awaken again."
They passed through the seal into the stone depths, where the massive, bound form of the Dragon King awaited them.
"Eh? Has Azhdaha gotten… fat?" Cloud Retainer raised a brow. The dragon looked even bulkier than before.
"If he jumps now, the ground will quake harder than ever."
"With nothing to eat all these centuries, he's been swallowing dirt. After so long, of course he's grown plump," Koji said, amused.
Kunjun: "…"
Even as only a fragment, being called "fat" still stung.
"So pitiful… centuries without food. I can't help but feel bad for him," Paimon murmured.
Sensing Morax's aura, Azhdaha's eyes opened—wild, violent, stripped of reason.
"Morax… It's time to settle everything."
A deafening roar erupted. The ground quaked, mountains shuddered.
"This is nothing like Osial," Lumine said gravely.
"Of course not," Cloud Retainer replied. "Azhdaha is a being equal to the Geo Archon himself."
Osial was nothing. Azhdaha could crush him with a single strike.
"Friend, I'll leave it to you."
Koji nodded. Reaching toward Kunjun, he drew a sphere of white light into his hand.
When the Dragon King's benevolent will left Kunjun's body, the man collapsed. Zhongli caught him quickly—it was still a citizen of Liyue, after all.
"Purify."
Koji sent Azhdaha's benevolent will back into his true form, along with a burst of divine cleansing light.
Reason began to return. The madness in Azhdaha's eyes slowly cleared.
"Morax…"
Azhdaha looked up at Zhongli. Memories returned—everything.
"Azhdaha, it's enough. You're awake now."
Zhongli waved his hand. The sealing barrier dissolved. There was no longer any need to bind him.
The Dragon King's colossal body shrank, until a brown-haired man stood before them.
"So… I heard you faked your death to retire?" Azhdaha asked dryly.
While possessing that human, he had seen the lightning tribulation fall from the sky. A mortal might not have noticed, but as Morax's old comrade, he knew his friend's power.
The mighty Geo Archon, dead from a fall? Not struck by lightning mid-tribulation, but… slipped and fell?
"Heh. My time had come. Now it's humanity's turn." Zhongli smiled faintly.
"You sure humans can manage? My own erosion worsened because they over-mined the land."
"That's a problem for the future," Zhongli said. "We'll simply watch and record. If the path of humanity strays too far, we'll step in to correct it."
Having chosen to step back, he would let humans face their own mistakes. Without divine guidance, humanity could reach greater potential.
"As you wish," Azhdaha said softly. "Thank you for restoring my reason."
"No problem. Though honestly, I thought you'd turn into a little girl." Koji laughed. "In the story, your evil will manifests as a blue-haired girl."
Azhdaha scratched his head awkwardly. "That… yes. I was planning to split off such a form, but before I could, you all arrived."
Guizhong and the others stared at him with strange looks. The sheer embarrassment made Azhdaha wish he could crawl back into his seal.
(End of Chapter)
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